World Food in New Zealand

I love getting a hold of old-fashioned, not very utilised ingredients and then making something from them. In my mind, pearl barley fits the category. When was the last time you had barley? And how did you have it? I’ll wager that it was just a filler in a soup and that you ate said soup over a decade ago. Am I right? Barley is trying to make a quiet comeback but if you look … Read entire article »

Just mention the word ‘tapioca’ and you strike fear into the hearts of many. It seems the cheap pudding has had a bad rap since its history as an economical dessert in difficult times and, worse, as served up on school lunch trays in a gelatinous lump. My grandfather used to refer to it as “frog’s eggs”, but then he also used to tell us that some of the raisins in the pack still had … Read entire article »

Even as someone who spends much of my working day online, I have never actually viewed an e-book. True, I am still fully in love with the ink on paper variety of reading but, that is not why I haven’t purchased an e-book. I simply haven’t come across something that I’ve wanted to read AND have it coincide with a gap in my giant stack of ‘To read’ books. But I became interested in the … Read entire article »

Although I spent my childhood in the United States, it wasn’t until I lived in England that I learned to eat peanut butter and jam/jelly. It is OK to admit that my undergraduate days consisted of a wee bit of overindulgence in a certain amber nectar? And, is it OK to admit that those particular overindulgences occasionally left me feeling a bit worse for wear in the morning? Yes? Whew! I thought you might bail … Read entire article »

Have you been wondering what that beautiful purple and green leafy vegetable is in the shops at the moment?
I’d hate for you to miss out so I thought I’d better get these photos up quick smart before it all disappears. The season’s quite short, and you may have to go to an Asian shop to find it, but it’s called yin tsai* or amaranth or “edible amaranth” as some sources call it. Don’t worry. Everything … Read entire article »

Yep, it’s true. I’ve been indulging in the delights of sunshine and delicious produce like heirloom tomatoes and avocados. Since it’s the middle of winter here and summer there, I couldn’t stop eating salad in the first two days. It’s just made me all the more impatient in waiting for our season to begin.
I also tasted a whole lot of fruit. The tasting stations are so generous at the farmer’s markets over there that you … Read entire article »

Although they made a great many amazing foods at home that I feel regretful I didn’t ask about, I’m not sure if my Polish relatives ever made sauerkraut at home. They definitely ate a lot of it. Kielbasa, Polish sausages, simmering in sauerkraut is a childhood scent. My Dad, arriving home late from work, sat at the table tucking in to those sausages that snapped to the bite. He said to me recently that he … Read entire article »

Although I haven’t had much time to write since becoming a Mum, I have spent many hours thinking up things a toddler will eat. There are plenty of things that a toddler will warm to, no doubt, but I want to do quicker than quick things that take very little prep so I can get on with building monster forts out of cushions in the living room or seeking out the best playground in the … Read entire article »

Despite Christmas being only a week away, it is still not feeling very summery here in Auckland as we’ve been stuck indoors with rain for three days. It’s was sunny this morning so I grabbed my shoes, put my son on my back and headed out to lovely Cornwall Park for a walk. I was ambling along thinking how I should have rung my friend, who has also been stuck indoors with a toddler for … Read entire article »